Stacking mechanism.



H. Y. ARMSTRONG.

STACKING MECHANISM, APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1917.

1,269,673. Patented (11111018, 1918.

INVENT'OR.

A 'TTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIo HARRY Y. ARMSTRONG, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO UNITED SEALING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OI MASSACHUSETTS.

' sracxnve MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Y. ARMSTRONG, a citizen. of the United States, a nda resident of Springfield, in the county\of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stacking Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in 'stacking mechanisms for envelops and the particularly pointed out and claimed.

The invention, in an embodiment at present preferred, is shown for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the delivery portion of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 34, of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views taken similarly to Fig. 3 and showing diagrammatically various stages in the operation of the improved stacking mechanism.

Referring to these drawings-there is illustrated merely the delivery end of a machine, which may be an envelop-sealing machine or any other machine in which envelops or the like require stacking. 'The envelops, or like articles, are fed into the bight of upper and lower coacting delivery rolls 10 and are ejected by these rolls upon a table 11. The means for feeding the envelops to rolls 19 have not been illustrated since they are unnecessary to an understanding of the invention. Any suitable feeding means may be used, as desired, and illustrative examples of'such means will be found in the prior art.

The rolls 10 and table 11 are suitably supported, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, from a frame A. Also mounted in the latter is a shaft 12, which passes below the table 11, and is driven by bevel gears 13.(Fig. 3) from a vertically-arranged shaft 14. The latter Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Application filed November 20, 1917 Serial No. 202,959.

is the main drive shaft for the rolls 10 and the stacking mechanism to be described and may be driven from any suitable source of power, as the motor M shown in Fig. 2, by suitable connections diagrammatically indieated in the drawing at 15. Shaft 12 drives by a gear train 16 the lower roll 10, and the latter drives the upper roll 10 by means of a pair of intermeshing gears 17.

The stacking mechanism comprises two disks 18, which are slidably keyed to sleeves 19, as shown in Fig. 4, and may be held in various positions of axial adjustment thereon by screws 20. The sleeves 19 are loosely mounted on the described shaft 12 and may be held thereto by screws 21 (Fig. 1).

Sleeves 19 may be angularly adjusted relatively to shaft 12 by loosening screws 21 and turning the sleeves.

The table 11, as shown in Fig. 1, is arranged centrally between disks l8 and has '75 a downwardly-bent forward face 22, as shown in Fig. 3. Secured to frame A, and extending from the lower end of the face 22 forwardly with a slight upward inclination, is a pair of spaced parallel plates 23.

Slidable upon the latter is a carriage 24, which has a central upstanding finger 25 angularly adjustable relatively to the carriage. The latter is provided with suitable anti-friction rolls to ride on plates 23 and tends to move by gravity into such a position that the finger 25 abuts the face 22 of the table 11. Pivotally connected to frame A is? a finger 25 which is movable in a slotin the table 11 and alines with the finger 25.

The top edge of finger 25' forms a continua tion of table 11 and the finger is yieldingly held in the position shown by a spring 25 The envelops delivered by rolls 10 upon the table 11 are adapted to be transferred there- 95,

from by disks 18 in a manner to be described .and are received between the fingers 25 and 25, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The plates 23, carriage 2 1 and the fingers 25 and 25' constitute the delivery magazine of the machine.

The disks 18 are arranged one on each side of table 11 and are spaced just sufficiently to receive therebetween the envelops e. The screws 20 and the slidable mounting ofdisks 18 on sleeve 19 permit the spac ing of the disks to be varied to accommodate envelops of different lengths. Extending from each disk 18 toward table 11 is a flange, which starts from substantially the .center of the disk with a straight portion 27 and then extends spirally, as at 28, to: ward the outer periphery of the disk and terminates by doubling back on the spiral portion with a straight chord like portion 29, the latter being arranged nearly at right an les to the straight portion 27. Near the en of the spiral portion 28 of each disk flange, there is inset into the latter a piece of rubber 30, which projects sh htly beyond the periphery of the flange an has a function in the stacking of envelops e in the delivery magazine, as will appear.

The operation of the stacking mechanism will be best understood from Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive which illustrate successive stages in transferring envelops e from table 11 to the delivery magazine. The envelops e are thrown from rolls 10 at high speed upon the table 11 with a face of the enyelop contiguous to the latter. The disks 18 are so timed with relation to rolls 10, by varying the angular position of the sleeves 10 on shaft 12 as described that the straight portions 29 of the disk flanges assume substantially the position illustrated in Fig. 3 at the time the envelops are ejected. That 1s, the two portions 29 coiiperate with the edges of table 11 to form a slot to receive the envelop. It will be apparent that the envelop e when delivered upon the table 11 1s positioned along its forward edge by the portions 29 and is also held from endwise 'movement by the disks 18, so that the incom:

vertical position, its forward edge is likewise being carried forward upon the table 11 and the central continuation thereof, which is aflorded by the top edge of finger 25. The gradual tilting, and the movement of the forward edge of the envelop along members 11 and 25, will be clearly apparent from an inspection and comparison of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and from Fig. 6 it will be seen that the portions 28 and 29 have entirely passed below table 11 and finger 25 to allow the forward edge of the envelop to be carried into engagement with an end envelop of the stack in the delivery magazine.

As the disks 18 continue to revolve, the envelops are tilted farther toward vertical position by the portions 27, and thereafter the spiral portions continue the tilting. of

teeters the envelops and gradually carry them into the position illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein the face of one envelop e is contiguous with the face of an end envelop of the stack in its delivery magazine.

Although the envelop e is moved fiat a ainst the stack in the magazine, the lower e ge thereof is still supported on the finger 25 In some instances, the frictional engagement of the flanges 28 with the envelop 6' will be sufiicient to push the envelo e downwardly past the finger 25 to the p ates 23. In order to insure this result, however, the rubber inserts 30 are provided, which engage the envelop and efiectively move it downwardly by an action closely analogous to that obtained by hand. The envelop 6 may be said to be thumbed down into the desired position.

It is to be noted that the flanges 28 serve to hold the stack of envelops in the delivery magazine against backward movement until a succeeding envelop has commenced its, movement toward the delivery magazine. In this connection, the finger 25 plays an important part by preventing the envelops from bulging centrally toward the table 11 to such a degree as would release the envelops from their supporting en agement with the flanges 28. The fin er 25 also has the function (when the enve ops c delivered by rolls 10 are unsealed) of holding the unsealed flap of the envelop e (Fig. 3)v

fiat against its body to prevent a subsequent Irangelop from lodging between the flap and Thus, I have provided a generally improved stacking mechanism, which is particularly adapted for efiicient use in stacking envelops and may be used to advantage in envelop-sealing machines. The invention has been disclosed in a preferred embodiment, for illustrative purposes, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is,- Y

1. A stacking mechanism for envelops and the like, comprising, a table upon which the envelops are successively delivered with their faces contiguous thereto, a second table upon which the envelops may be stacked on edge, and revoluble devices arranged on opposite sides of the first-named table and having means in which the envelops may be positioned both laterally and longitudinally, said devices successively operable on the envelops to gradually tilt the rear edges thereof and at the same time gradually carry the forward edges along the first-named table to the last-named table.

2. A stacking mechanism for envelops and the like, comprising, a table upon which the envelops are successively delivered with their faces contiguous thereto, a second table variation of the u n which the envelops may be stacked on ed e, revoluble devices arranged on opposlte the like, comprising, a table upon which the envelops are successively delivered with their faces contiguous thereto, a second table upon which the envelops may be stacked substantially vertically on edge, and revoluble devices on opposite sidesof the firstnamed table to successively remove the envelops therefrom and stack'them on the lastnamed table, said devices being provided with means in which the envelops may be positioned both laterally and longitudinally and other means to gradually tip the en velops while thus positioned into substantially upright position on the second table, together with means to hold the envelops 1n stacked relation on the latter during the operation of transferring other envelops thereto.

4. A stacking mechanism for envelops and the like, comprising, a table upon which the envelops are successively delivered wlth their faces contiguous thereto, a second table upon which the envelops may be stacked on edge, and revoluble devices on opposite sides of the first-named table to'successively remove the envelops therefrom and stack them on the last-named table, said devices being provided with means in which the envelops may be positioned both laterally and longi tudinally and other means having flat surfaces to engage the under sides of the envelops near the rear edges thereof and to gradually tip the envelops while thus positioned into substantially upright position on the second table, together with means to hold the envelops in stacked relation on the latter during the operation of transferring other envelops thereto.

5. A stacking mechanism for envelops or the like, comprising, a substantially horizontal table upon which the envelops are delivered one by one, a delivery table to support the envelop in substantially horizontally stacked relation, and means to transfer the envelops one by one from the first to the last-named table, said means comprising revoluble disks on opposite sides of the firstnamed table, each provided with flanges extending toward the latter, said flanges having portions cooperating with the firstnamed table when the envelop is delivered thereon to form a slot to receive the envelop and position it along three sides thereof, another portion adapted to engage with a flat surface the under face of the envelop and to adually tilt the envelops into substantia y upright position on the delivery table, and a third portion to hold the envelops against backward movement on the latter.

' 6. A stacking mechanism for envelops or the like, comprising, a substantially horizontal table upon which the envelops are delivered one by one, means tofeed" envelops to said table, a delivery table to support the envelops in substantially horizontally stacked relation, and means to transfer the envelops-one by one from the first to the lastnamed table, said means comprising revoluble disks on opposite sides of the first-' named table, each provided with flanges extending toward the latter, said flanges hav- 5 ing portions cooperating with the first named table when the envelop is delivered thereon to form a slot to receive the envelop and" position it along three edges thereof, another portion adapted to engage with a flat surface the under face of the envelop and to gradually tilt the envelops into substantially upright position on the delivery table, and a third portion to hold the envelops against backward movement on the latter, together with means permitting movement of said disks to vary the distance therebetween and means to permit variation of the angular position of said disks relatively to said feeding means.

7. A stacking the like, comprlsing, a table upon whic the envelopsto be stacked are successively delivmechanism for envelo s or ered with their faces contiguous thereto, a

second table upon which the envelops are stacked on edge, revoluble devices on opposite sides of the table operable successively on the envelops to gradually tilt them into vertical position on the first-named table and carry them to and against the stack on the last-named table, said devices havin parts engageable with the stack to hold the :latter against backward movement on the table, and means on said parts to successively and yieldingly engage the incoming .tilted envelop and force it between said parts and the stack of envelops on the lastnamed table.

8. A stacking mechanism for envelops the envelops are successively delivered with their faces contiguous thereto, a second table on which the envelops are stacked vertically on edge, revoluble devices on opposite sides of the first-named table to successively transfer envelops from the first to the second table,=including portions engageable with the edges of the envelops on the second table to hold them in stacked relation, and a spring-actuated finger on the first-named table to engage the stack of envelops intermediate said edges to prevent bulging of the aeaeve envelops and thus the disengagement of their edges from said portions.

9. A stacking mechanism for envelops and the like, comprising, a receiving table upon which envelops are successively delivered, a supporting member upon which the en-- velops are stacked on edge, revoluble devices to successively transfer envelops from the table to said member, including portions engageable with the edges of the envelops on said member to hold them in stacked relation, and means engageable with the stack of envelops intermediate said edges to prevent bulging of the envelops and thus they disengagement of their edges from said portions.

10. A stacking mechanism for envelops and the like, comprising, a receiving table upon which envelops are successively delivered, a supporting member upon which the envelops are stacked on edge and revoluble devices to successively transfer envelops from the table to said member, said devices having parts engageable with the stack to and stack until its edge rests upon said member.

11. A stacking j mechanism for envelops or the like, comprising, a table upon which envelops are delivered one by one, means to feed envelops to said table, a second table upon which the envelops are stacked on edge, revoluble devices arranged on opposite sides of the first table and having means in which the envelops may be positioned both laterally and longitudinally, said devices operable to successively remove envelops from the first table and stack them on the second table, means to permit variation of the distance between said devices, and means to permit variation of the angular position of said devices relatively to said feeding means.

HARRY Y. ARMSTRONG. 

